U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,720,419; 8,776,765; 9,062,600, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference, disclose and claim the method for increasing the energy conversion efficiency of internal combustion engines (ICE) by reducing friction between cylinder walls and associated piston rings, thereby reducing fuel consumption, extending operating life of the piston rings and cylinder walls, and reducing greenhouse emission.
The method of the aforementioned patents is to generate nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by electric discharge in air intake path of an engine by means of high-voltage generator (HV generator), where NO2 reacts with the water vapors (H2O) and oxygen (O2) to provide vapors of HNO3 (nitric acid), that dissolve carbonaceous deposits on the cylinder walls and on associated piston rings during intake and compression strokes, thereby reducing friction.
The major purpose of this invention is to improve the principal method for spark ignition ICEs only by eliminating the necessity to use a separate discharge electrodes and HV generator, and thereby simplify the embodiments of the principal method and reduce the cost of its utilization.